Summary
Among the various concerted efforts in promoting and achieving Regional Coherence in ASEAN
when AEC comes into being, post 2015; there will be a need (inter alia):To frame a more (regulated industries related) sector/sub sector specific MRAs , such as
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the proposed E2WMRA;
To have incremental improvements and progressive convergence of MRAs so developed
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to finally attain the status of ASEAN Directives; possible after having aligned; better still
harmonised related, and
To have associated regulatory regimes for the regulated industry in question.
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The start to this mindful process is the promotion of MRAs for engineering and technology type
of professional services with respective grades of companion Engineering Services Professionals
(ESPs) benchmarked to matching IEA Accords such as the WA (engineers’ entry level for onwards
progression to professional engineers); the SA (for engineering technologists); and the DA (for
technicians).
Besides CBTS, the other important MRA that needs review and up scaling in scope is the 1-G
MRA on EEE being implemented by the JSCEEEMRA under the oversight of ACCSQ reporting to
SEOM, then AEM/ASEAN Summit.
The present MRA’s scope (limited to regulated Consumer Products/Office Equipment only) is
to be expanded to also include all EEE and illumination products/systems.
The fortunate thing relating to this proposal is that international standards such as IEC & CIE
Standards covering these additional products and/or systems are in existence.
The proposed up scaling process, when initiated and in time, can lead to ASEAN Directives
that will be International (IEC/CEI) Standards centric – adding/contributing to Regional coherence
of the AEC/ASEAN.
Another equally important Regional Economic Grouping is the TPPA (which Malaysia, for
example, joined in October 2011); the FTA is still work in progress. It places great emphasis
on Cross Border Trade in Services (CBTS). The flexibility built in the proposed framework allows
for participating TPP member nations/economies to work out; either bilateral or plural lateral
arrangements such as MRAs for regulated professional services.
For Professional Engineering Services covering both CPC 8672 & CPC 8673; the MRA will
promote the APEC Engineer grade of Professional Engineer – the entry level of which is an
engineering qualification benchmarked to and accredited/recognised/accepted by the WA.
It is to be remembered TPPA is the primer for the longer term and ambitious goal of attaining
the FTAAP (a 21st century FTA of the Asia Pacific, which encourages true free trade) that could
cover what the 21 economies of today’s APEC; with ASEAN forming the centre of the scheme of
things. APEC has in place a MRA on E&E Equipment (completed, done and in place earlier than
the ASEAN version), implemented on a non-binding basis.
Engineering Services (PMC Services and/or EPCC
Services), and secondly, to include the other
two grades of ESPs who will then comple є